If Robert Kagan hoped to generate some conversation with a lengthy Washington Post opinion piece last week, he succeeded. Kagan, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and an editor at large for the Post, presented a provocative warning to the public, arguing that the United States faces the possibility of a...
One in which opposition is emnity, and when you you can’t counter the truth with obfuscation you use any and every means at your disposal to suppress speech.
Vance is one of the people helping pave the way toward dictatorship.
In April, Société Générale economist Albert Edwards released a scathing note saying he hadn’t seen anything like the current levels of corporate greed in his four decades working in finance. He said companies were using the war in Ukraine as an excuse to hike prices in search of profits....
So you’re saying the unusual increases in profit corresponding to inflation is in error? The authors published their methodology. Please show your work.
Yeah. It’s a shame the authors of the study wasted their time with empirical data instead of just asking a random person on the internet for their “logic.”
In a tense game of chicken, remarkable for its mix of petulance and audacity, congressional Republicans are threatening to halt U.S. aid to Ukraine—guaranteeing a Russian breakthrough and possible victory in that war—unless Democrats help pass a bill that all but locks down America’s Southern border....
The answer is that conservative thinking is driven by fear. It’s not that liberals don’t fear things, it’s that liberal thinking isn’t driven primarily by fear.
The Republican base is taught to fear. Fear liberals, fear diversity, fear whatever they’re told to fear. A generation ago they were told to fear Russia, so we opposed Russians with all our strength. They’re told the only salve for their fear is a strong leader.
Now, today, Putin presents himself as a strong leader and suddenly Russia is no longer to be feared but admired. So what that he wants to rebuild the Soviet Union by invading the nations around him? Trump says he’s a good guy, so obviously when he says he’s invading Ukraine for their own good he must be telling the truth.
They follow anyone who presents themselves as strong and confident because that allays their fears somewhat. And since their current leaders like Russia and don’t like Ukraine, that’s what they’re supporting.
It’s not like the US is supporting Ukraine alone. We just happen to have the best weapons, and a vested interest in containing Putin’s authoritarian ambitions. Providing material support to Ukraine without putting our own boots on the ground is a win all around.
One reason Putin went to such efforts to stop Clinton from winning here is because she knows who he is and was very effective at quietly neutralizing him. Now we’re dealing with his ambitions in action, and we’re not doing it alone.
Social Security benefits are a perennial target for cuts because the program faces a long-run shortfall. Some lawmakers and opinion leaders mistakenly portray the program’s benefits as lavish. The fact is, benefits are modest and workers have earned them by paying into Social Security — protecting themselves and their...
…All available evidence indicates that the Democrats are becoming a more culture war–focused, economically moderate party — except, that is, for what Democratic politicians actually say and do....
Advances in technology, meanwhile, allow campaigns to calibrate their outreach to only the most persuadable voters. The upshot is that a tiny segment of the population will get an outsize say in who leads the United States. And the will of the majority may not even prevail.
“Wisconsin voters have been awaiting accountability for three years, and it is beyond time to hold those who perpetrated this scheme responsible for their actions,” explained Jeff Mandell, an attorney for the Law Forward firm that brought the suit. “This settlement agreement provides one piece of that accountability and...
“The temporary restraining order granted by the Travis County district judge purporting to allow an abortion to proceed will not insulate hospitals, doctors or anyone else from civil and criminal liability for violating Texas’ abortion laws,” Paxton said in a statement shortly after the judge’s decision. “This includes...
It’s a losing battle, but Republicans (particularly the ones in power) have been responding to that by doubling down for the past thirty years. It convinced their base that it’s a display of strength and leadership while everyone else looks on in horror.
I guess we’ll see if their strategy ultimately pays off.
Why this renewed assault? “Obamacare Sucks!!!” declared the former and possibly future president. For those offended by the language, these are Trump’s own words, and I think I owe it to my readers to report what he actually said, not sanitize it. Trump also promised to provide “MUCH BETTER HEALTHCARE” without offering...
Insurance is not healthcare. But we live in late stage capitalism, and without insurance there is no access to healthcare at all. Obamacare took care of some of the more egregious problems we were dealing with, but it was clearly not the final solution.
So who thinks that Trump, or indeed any Republican can be trusted to come up with anything better?
Studies also show that it caused premiums and OOP costs to rise significantly.
Sources, please? Everything I’ve seen says that Obamacare successfully reduced the rise of premiums and costs. The double digit yearly increases in premiums from before the act have disappeared.
In other words, it has flaws that need to be addressed but we’ve been too busy defending it to have the political capital to do it. We knew there would be some losers, but not nearly as many as before and ten years later costs are actually lower than the CBO projected.
Trump Takes 2024 Lead as Biden Approval Hits New Low, WSJ Poll Finds (www.wsj.com)
GOP’s Vance seeks investigation into op-ed that criticized Trump (www.msnbc.com)
If Robert Kagan hoped to generate some conversation with a lengthy Washington Post opinion piece last week, he succeeded. Kagan, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and an editor at large for the Post, presented a provocative warning to the public, arguing that the United States faces the possibility of a...
‘Greedflation’ study finds many companies were lying to you about inflation (fortune.com)
In April, Société Générale economist Albert Edwards released a scathing note saying he hadn’t seen anything like the current levels of corporate greed in his four decades working in finance. He said companies were using the war in Ukraine as an excuse to hike prices in search of profits....
Republicans Are on the Verge of Delivering Putin a Big Christmas Gift (slate.com)
In a tense game of chicken, remarkable for its mix of petulance and audacity, congressional Republicans are threatening to halt U.S. aid to Ukraine—guaranteeing a Russian breakthrough and possible victory in that war—unless Democrats help pass a bill that all but locks down America’s Southern border....
Social Security Benefits Are Modest (www.cbpp.org)
Social Security benefits are a perennial target for cuts because the program faces a long-run shortfall. Some lawmakers and opinion leaders mistakenly portray the program’s benefits as lavish. The fact is, benefits are modest and workers have earned them by paying into Social Security — protecting themselves and their...
No, Democrats Are Not Driving America’s Culture Wars (nymag.com)
…All available evidence indicates that the Democrats are becoming a more culture war–focused, economically moderate party — except, that is, for what Democratic politicians actually say and do....
Small segment of voters will wield outsize power in 2024 presidential race (wapo.st)
Advances in technology, meanwhile, allow campaigns to calibrate their outreach to only the most persuadable voters. The upshot is that a tiny segment of the population will get an outsize say in who leads the United States. And the will of the majority may not even prevail.
Why Is One of Trump's Fake Electors Still Overseeing Voting in Wisconsin? (www.thenation.com)
“Wisconsin voters have been awaiting accountability for three years, and it is beyond time to hold those who perpetrated this scheme responsible for their actions,” explained Jeff Mandell, an attorney for the Law Forward firm that brought the suit. “This settlement agreement provides one piece of that accountability and...
Texas Threatens Doctors After Judge Says Woman Can Get Emergency Abortion (www.rollingstone.com)
“The temporary restraining order granted by the Travis County district judge purporting to allow an abortion to proceed will not insulate hospitals, doctors or anyone else from civil and criminal liability for violating Texas’ abortion laws,” Paxton said in a statement shortly after the judge’s decision. “This includes...
Donald Trump Still Wants to Kill Obamacare. Why? (www.nytimes.com)
Why this renewed assault? “Obamacare Sucks!!!” declared the former and possibly future president. For those offended by the language, these are Trump’s own words, and I think I owe it to my readers to report what he actually said, not sanitize it. Trump also promised to provide “MUCH BETTER HEALTHCARE” without offering...